I’m not exactly sure how I ended up earning the right to talk about spring break. As I slump through midterm activities, procrastinate until the wee hours of the morning, and exchange in depth reading for spark notes to keep my scheduled several hours of television a day intact, one might assume that I have no right to be excited about spring break.
As a matter of fact I just spent about three hours procrastinating writing this article playing Super Smash Brothers. But, despite my successful dabblings in senioritis, I have to say I’m ready to jump in the car and drive off to Florida for a week of good food, warm sun and hardcore party time at Disney World with my family.
Pointless ramblings aside, considering we’ve just had a blizzard and have only been in school a measly month and a half, I’m sure a lot of you aren’t quite geared up for Spring Break either. Just today one of my friends looked up excitedly from poking at a pile of peas and screamed, “Spring Break is in a week and a half!” spilling a half filled glass of iced Doctor Pepper in the process, only to realize she had not yet made any plans aside from studying at school.
With Spring Break this early, it’s sneaking up on us like a delightful or unmerited surprise, but if it’s sneaking up on us by surprise it can only mean many of us are not prepared for the flow of partying, sight seeing and constant snoring to come. But in reality, who is ever not ready for a week of relaxation, booze intake and personal time?
No Spring Break is complete without at least a miniature bout of public drunkenness, and to the many of you who have planned trips with friends I commend you for securing a family-free environment to partake in alcohol and pleasurable revelry. To those of you however who, like me, can’t pass up a free trip, it can certainly be tougher to guise your partying tendencies. But once again economic advantage comes into play. If you’re at a cabana bar, offer to buy your dad a drink and discuss the finer arts of brews. And what mother won’t become significantly less judgmental after a trio of unknowingly powerful Mai Tais? As long as you’re not alone you can booze cruise all you like, only being described as “one of those families” rather than the shame of the family.
Considering Furman’s fairly tame majorities, I’m guessing I’m not the only one who’s trading in the glitz of Vegas and the hot abs of Daytona Beach for something chill. But you can channel the same spirit of Spring Break into whatever your destination may be. If you picked the most magical place on earth as your vacation destination, hit up Epcot for the “country crawl,” in which contestants attempt to consume an alcoholic beverage from each of the eleven tributes to the nations of the world. For other classy vacation destinations, wineries and craft beer breweries offer a nice respite from the busy life of shopping, skiing or beach tanning.
Clichés aside, Spring Break trips are great to just relax and see some new stuff. I get more enjoyment out of a nice dinner, watching fireworks and having some nice time for self-reflection than pumping down my sixth eight-dollar glass of sake.
In all honesty I know more people who are staying on campus, cramming for the GRE or working on their senior thesis. But for the love of God please don’t do that all week. This is the time to treat campus like your personal playground. Try your hand at cooking. Who cares if you set off the fire alarm? No one is here. For adventure purposes, treat Furman like Hogwarts and explore Judson’s fifth floor or break into the Thoreau Cabin.
Whatever you do this break, just enjoy it. Take a couple days to totally remove yourself from school and have some fun. It sounds cheesy but I can’t remember the last Spring Break I didn’t dread that paper I should be working on or that upcoming test. Drink, party, explore, or just sleep and play video games ang catch up on Game of Thrones. Just do something to get away from the brutal reality of work or it will consume you.